An IVA is a legally binding agreement and a form of insolvency. Once you’ve entered into it then you’ll be bound by its terms and failure to comply could have very serious consequences.

I struggle with repayments. How will they be managed?

Once you enter into an IVA then all your monthly repayments will be repaid to your chosen insolvency practitioner.

Before you enter into the IVA your chosen advisor will discuss what debt types you have, how much is owed and to whom. Thereafter, he or she will be able to give you detailed advice on how you can budget throughout the arrangement and will determine what they consider to be an affordable repayment. Once this repayment has been agreed with you – and accepted by your creditors – then you’ll start to make just one payment each month through your advisor who will then distribute the funds to your creditors (including any percentage in respect of their own fees).

How long does an IVA last for?

An IVA will typically last for five or six years – hence the importance of ensuring you can commit to the monthly repayments for the duration of it.

What happens if my circumstances change during the arrangement?

If your financial circumstances change during the term of the arrangement, then you should notify your advisor as soon as possible. In most cases, your advisor will be able to re-negotiate with your creditors and make certain variations to reflect your circumstances – whatever they might happen to be.

In cases of financial hardship, your advisor might also be able to arrange a payment break – or even an extension to the arrangement. However, it’s important to raise any changes as soon as possible as your advisor will have to liaise with all concerned and as quickly as possible to ensure that the IVA doesn’t fail.

How should I handle my finances throughout the IVA?

Your advisor will be able to give you bespoke advice on how to handle your finances throughout your IVA – and never be afraid to ask questions when it comes to long-term financial commitments. After all, the whole purpose of an IVA business is to put you back into a better financial position for the future – not to make your situation even worse.

If you need help or advice on budgeting then your advisor will be able to assist and help you to prioritise your debts. Of course, these also need to be prioritised in terms of importance. So, for example, your rent or mortgage repayments should be made first with any other ‘unsecured debts’ (such as catalogue debts, clothing etc.) being secondary.

You can also get advice on finance management through certain debt charities or your local Citizens Advice Bureau so never be afraid to reach out for support and help if you feel you need it.

Have you been thinking about starting your own business lately? You’re not alone, the advent of the internet has meant that plenty of ambitious entrepreneurs have begun to make their way online in search of new opportunities.

Of course, while the digital world has made it a little easier for people to start building their own companies online, that doesn’t mean that you don’t still need a strategy in place to boost your chances of success. While no two businesses are the same, the following 6tips will apply to anyone launching a professional venture for the first time.

1. Know Your Marketplace (and Competition)

No matter what kind of business you decide to start running, there’s a good chance that you’ll have competition that you’ll need to think about before you can start making a real impact. Competitionisn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it gives you an opportunity to show off your true creativity and bring innovation to the marketplace.

However, it’s important to make sure that you know as much as possible about your marketplace and what your competition is doing before you get started. Thiswill help you to inspire investors and choose a USP that will reallyspeak to your target audience.

2. Get Funding

There are very few business leaders out there that have the money to just start their own businesses out of their own pocket. Unless you happen to have a lot of extra cash in your possession, you’re going to need to get a loan to help you launch your organisation. Fortunately, there are plenty of different funding options to choose from.

To make sure that you select the best loan for your needs, make sure that you don’t simplyaccept the first loan that you’re offered. Look for the solution with the best APR rateso thatyou can keep your interest expenses to a minimum.

3. Choose a Legal Structure

How a company is structured is crucial to itslong-termsuccess. It’s not always easy to change the nature of your business after you’ve already set it up, so make sure that you know what you’re getting into from day one. Each legal entity you can choose for your company comes with itsowndistinct restrictions and requirements to consider. Certain kinds of corporations may not be appropriate for the business you want to create.

If you’re not sure what kind of company you should be creating, consider speaking to a professional about your options.

4. Get Registration and Licenses Sorted

There’s more to starting a successful business than coming up with a good idea and launching your ownwebsite. You also need to make sure that you have everything handled from a legal perspective too. The good news is that there are various resources available online to assist you with things like incorporation paperwork, local municipalities, and obtaining any licenses that you might need to manage things like trading.

Remember that you’ll need to get your federal tax information organized too. Aside from dealing with the International Revenue Service, you may also need to speak to local corporation commissions at the county level.

5. Write a Business Plan

Before you rush into anything with your business, it’s always important to have a strategy in mind. Experts usually agree that writing a business plan is the first step that any prospective business owner needs to take. Not only will this show an additional level of commitment to any investors you speak to or banks you ask for a loan from, but it will also force you to answer important questions about where your company is heading.

A business plan is also one of the first things that any true shareholder will ask for when they’re thinking about getting involved with your company.

6. Get the Right Support

Finally, running a business means getting plenty of support wherever you can. Thiscould meanthat you ask for additional help from your friends and family when you’re getting started, to help you manage your personal life when you put a lot of your time and energy into the company. On the other hand, the support you need might be on a professional level, from employees, legal counsel, and other experts who can help bring your idea to life.

The importantthing to remember is that most of the time, you won’t be able to just”go it alone” when you’re launching your company. The more support you can get, the better off you’ll be.

Investing in the stock market is a task that can be highly lucrative if done correctly. However, it comes with a whole host of risks – and one of them is the risk that you won’t choose the right stocks or bundles of stocks in which to tie your cash. Luckily, you can mitigate this risk with a bit of strategic planning and hard work. While there are never any guarantees in the world of investment, it is possible to reduce the chances that your stock market move will go wrong.

Diversify your portfolio

One of the main pieces of advice that an investment advisor will almost always give their clients is to diversify. This means avoiding placing all your eggs in one basket, and instead choosing a variety of stocks to reduce risk. Say you invest in one stock: your gains will be huge if it moves successfully, but you’ll lose everything if it crashes and burns. However, if you invest in 100 stocks, then 40 might crash and 60 might grow. That way, you can use the gains from the 60 to replenish the losses of the 40 – and also make some profit on top. There are very few circumstances in which it doesn’t make sense to diversify, so it’s important to take the time to craft a varied portfolio.

Do your research

There’s a high degree of interest in the world of stocks, and this is something you can use to your advantage. It means that newspapers and investment websites such as the New York Timesand Forbesregularly publish details of which stocks the writer recommends you buy, sell or hold – and while you don’t have to follow their advice, you can at least use it to make informed decisions. Investing in access to a feed that provides everything you need to know about stocks this week, meanwhile, is another great way to make sure that you have what you need at your fingertips.

Consider a tracker

A portfolio of well-chosen stocks and shares works for some investors, but there are other ways to invest in the stock market, and it pays to research them all before making decisions. One alternative is an index tracker fund: this asset doesn’t invest in one stock or another, but instead “invests” in the performance of a stock market as a whole. If, say, the NASDAQ rises in value and you have a NASDAQ index tracker fund investment in place, then you’ll profit – and you’ll lose if it goes in reverse. If you believe that an overall economy or market will rise but you’re not certain about specific shares, then this may well be the right move for you.

It’s clear, then, that investing sensibly in the stock market can be done, as long as you carry out the appropriate research. By looking into other options such as portfolio diversification, index trackers and more, meanwhile, you’ll be able to give yourself the best possible chance of crafting a stock portfolio that provides you with a decent return for the years ahead.

Everyone has had at least one job that was, to put it mildly, not a good fit. Maybe the pay was insufficient, maybe coworkers or management were hostile, maybe the work-life balance was off, or maybe there were any number of other issues. For whatever reason, exiting the job feels like an escape, and if you’re asked to perform an exit interview, you may be tempted to air some final grievances before you head out the door. After all, what can your former employers do to you now?

As it happens, your past employers can still have an impact on your future hiring prospects for accounting jobs Los Angelesin the form of references and recommendations. Here are some ideas on how to handle the exit interview and leave on a high note.

Prepare for the Interview Beforehand

Research the types of questions that are typically asked in an exit interview. Employment agenciesmay have useful information in this regard. Draft responses to the questions, and practice delivering them. Use this preparation time beforehand to work out any lingering negative emotion that you may have toward the company so that you can conduct yourself in the interview in a calm, pleasant, professional manner.

Accentuate the Positive

Even if the job was a harrowing experience, there have likely been some positive things about it. If nothing else, you’ve probably learned skills or gained experience that will be useful to you in your future career. Focus on those things in the interview. Be honest, but be diplomatic.

Stick to the Facts

As much as possible, keep your answers to the interview questions fact based, especially if the answers could be interpreted as negative or critical. For example, instead of just saying that you’re leaving for a better paying job, come prepared with specific figures detailing how much more your new job will be paying.

Your exit interview will be the final impression your former employers have of you. If you exit with grace, they will remember you as a gracious person. When you need assistance seeking a new job in finance, call Beacon Resourcesat 1-844-500-8100.

Are you someone who has been investing actively in the stock market? Are you looking forward to diversifying your portfolio and make real estate investment a part of it? If yes, you should be glad that you are going in the right direction. Here is a graph to show you where real estate stands against other forms of investments for Americans.

It is the safest long-term investment for Americans, even in 2018. Here are some more reasons for you to make the transition from stock investments to real estate investment.

You Can Have Cash Available

First, you have to say goodbye to the idea that you have to buy housesand sell them to be a real estate investor. Real estate gives you the luxury of being a landlord i.e. you can rent out a house. That allows you to receive cash in hand every month that you can use to pay your mortgage or for personal stuff if you have already paid the house in full.

The Tax Advantage

You get unique tax advantages when you invest in real estate. Real estate is not always a game of cash for houses and properties. Take the example of tax advantage you receive for twenty-seven and a half years on your property. In short, you are turning depreciation into profit when you know that your property’s value is rising with time.

The Tangibility

According to Corey Tyner of Cash For Houses Phoenix, people tend to take pride in achievements that are tangible. The feeling of being able to touch what you are investing in is overly satisfying for some. When investing in stocks, you don’t have anything tangible that you can show to your family and friends. On the other hand, your real estate investments are tangible and can be shown to others.

The Volatility

While both the markets can be volatile at their times, stock fluctuate a lot more than real estate market. Stocks that have high dividends need you to invest a lot of money before they can generate any significant returns. Yes, real estate market is less liquid than stock market but it is also much safer.

The Initial Investment

For a long time, stock market investments have beaten real estate investments due to the huge upfront investments that are needed to invest in the latter. However, with the coming of real estate crowdfunding, things have changed completely. Today, you can start with an amount as small as $5,000 to invest in a real estate property.

Level of Control

The level of control is much higher in real estate investments than stock market investments. In real estate transactions, home buyersand sellers can meet in person and know each other before finalizing the deal. With stocks in your hands, you just wait for the market to move up and down. There is no other way for you to control the price of your stocks. On the other hand, renovations, enhancing curb appeal, adding a new roof, etc. are various methods for you to increase the price of your property. In short, you have a much better control over your real estate investments than you have over stocks.

In addition to the points mentioned above, you should also know that real estate investments are an excellent way to hedge against inflation. In a nutshell, there are still more reasons favoring real estate investments than those favoring stock investments.

Although many people don’t realize it, the foreign exchange market is one ripe with uncertainty. There are many external factors that directly influence the value of stocks, and they can be political and social, not only financial. Even if a trend is looking up, governmental interference can make its values plunge in no time, as it happened recently with Bitcoin.

One famous example of the importance of risk management in forex is the case of Bill Lipschutz, one of the most relevant high-profile traders today. When he was still in college, he managed to turn a 12,000-dollar inheritance into 250,000 dollars just like that. But then he lost it all, and so he learned how important dealing with uncertainty in a calculated way actually is.

Risk Management Strategies

Simply put, there are plenty of hazards involved in forex. You can be the best trader out there and always think things through, and you can still lose it all in the blink of an eye. However, there are some ways to minimize these dangers. Here are three simple strategies to help you master forex risk management.

1. Knowing the Odds

To manage hazards like a pro on the foreign exchange market, you need to adequately calculate the odds of your trade being successful. The way to do that is by performing adequate technical and fundamental analysis of market data.

On the one hand, technical analysis evaluates a company based on historical data, trading volumes over time and trends in the industry. Thus, it has more to do with the context surrounding it than its actual operations or overall value. It is typically a backward-looking methodology which aims to capitalize on identifiable pricing opportunities and trends.

On the other hand, fundamental analysis calculates the value of a stock by considering all the core factors that influence it, such as gross domestic product, interest rates, revenues, expenses, equities and so on. It is a long-term investment approach, which paints a detailed picture of intrinsic value.

2. Having Sufficient Liquidity

Liquidity involves the existence of just enough sellers and buyers at current prices so that your trade is taken quickly and at the best possible moment. In the case of major currencies on the foreign exchange market, this is usually not a problem, but this is always susceptible to change. And if you’re an unusual pair trader, then this is a true risk you need to manage.

This is achieved by choosing the right trade method. One market strategy that offers excellent liquidity is swing trade forex. Due to its short to medium-term nature, enough volatility is created so that prices move at interesting rates, but not in a way that affects your gains.

3. Acting on High Leverage

By far the most dangerous trade situation is one that involves high leverage because it also has the potential to be insanely profitable if everything turns out in your favor. Due to the liquid nature of forex, it’s easy to go in and out of a trade at any moment, which creates the optimum circumstances for this.

But the whole thing is a double-edged sword. When you are leveraged and you make a profit, your gains will naturally be higher. But if you lose, it will cut a deeper hole in your budget. This happens due to the way in which your broker’s money is used. Depending on the created leverage factor, the amount of money you win or lose will be calculated accordingly.

What you need to directly control in these situations are your bad trading patterns. At the end of the day, forex is a large-scale gamble, which means it comes with inherent uncertainties. The only way to lower them is by pacing yourself and taking cold-cut, calculated decisions.

Final Thoughts

The best way to maximize your gains and contain any potential losses in forex is by knowing the market like the back of your hand. Calculating your odds while factoring in liquidity and leverage is a sure mix that will minimize some of the risks you will encounter. Just remember, even the best traders lose sometimes.